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EDM Production Gear for the Home Studio

Quietly building an underground fan base since disco's death, electronic dance music is now an integral part of the mainstream. While EDM has been taking the world by storm, the genre has caught some flack from the 'old guard' of music. Perhaps a DJ isn't as musically involved as a brooding guitarist on stage, but the real genius behind EDM is the talent and effort that goes into crafting songs in the studio, where EDM artists meticulously sculpt sonic textures into tightly packed compositions.

Want a piece of the action? Follow this buying guide, and find the gear you need for your own EDM production setup!

DAWs: Recording and Sequencing Software

At the center of your EDM production rig is your digital audio workstation (DAW) software running on your Mac or PC. This is where you arrange your tracks and compose your music. Each DAW comes with its own array of recording, editing, sequencing and sound processing tools, and can also host third-party "plug-in" applications, extending the capabilities of the software.

It's important to note that all DAWs "sound" pretty much the same, since they're simply a means of capturing and playing back digital data. What differentiates one DAW from another is its specific workflow and features. Choose a DAW that suits your creative process. If you're doing a lot of loop-based composition, you'll want a DAW with a non-linear workflow and solid time-stretching tools. If you're a classically trained musician, you may need a DAW that displays musical notation.

Check out each of the software titles below to get a sense of how each DAW looks and feels. Once you've honed in on what works best for you, you can move on to choosing some third-party plugins that will help expand and customize your sound.

Plug-ins are small add-on applications that can be "inserted" on tracks within your DAW. While your DAW will come with an array of sound editing and composition tools, these third-party applications can expand your sonic palette. You can't have too many!

Audio effects plug-ins can give you entirely new, experimental sounds, or emulate the classic outboard gear found in studios, like compressors, limiters, reverbs, and so on.

Virtual instrument plug-ins give you the tools to create fully orchestrated compositions entirely "in the box." Sample-based virtual instruments -- such as Spectrasonics Stylus RMX Xpanded -- come with libraries of sampled sounds and loops you can trigger via MIDI. For more sophisticated sound-sculpting, software synthesizer virtual instruments like Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 give you the tools to generate new sounds from scratch, and mangle samples into something new. Want to go bigger? A software suite like Native Instruments Komplete or IK Multimedia SampleTank 3 will stock your DAW with a huge library of sample-based virtual instruments and software synths, as well as audio effects plug-ins.

Your virtual instruments are driven by MIDI data that you sequence in your DAW. Sure, you could build beats by entering notes one by one on the grid. But if you want to play your virtual instruments in real time, a MIDI controller is the way to go.

If you're producing electronic dance music, you'll likely be spending a lot of time with your MIDI controller -- so the way it feels under your hands is important! For experienced keyboardists, we recommend a keyboard MIDI controller with at least 49 keys, so you can comfortably play two-handed. Pianists will appreciate the semi-weighted keys found on the Akai MPK249. On more budget-friendly instruments like the Novation Launchkey 49 mk2, you'll find springier synth-action keys.

The Native Instruments Maschine Studio and the Akai MPC Touch give you velocity-sensitive illuminated drum pads, knobs, and transport controls -- along with powerful sequencing software for your host computer, and extensive sample libraries. With these groovebox-style hardware/software setups, you won't even need separate DAW software -- although you can also run Maschine or MPC as a plug-in within your DAW.

Modern drum machines like the Roland TR-8 AIRA deliver even more hands-on beat-making bliss. The TR-8 generates fat virtual-analog synth-drum sounds, and outputs 14 channels of audio over USB for integration with your DAW. Another super-modern groovebox, the Korg Electribe lets you create complex 16-part patterns with its 400 built-in sounds -- drums, basses and leads -- with hands-on control over those cool Korg effects with the Kaoss-style touchpad. The Electribe even export your sequences as Ableton Live Sets.

A robust audio interface is a must if you're planning on recording any analog sound sources -- such as vocals through an XLR microphone, or a 1/4" output from a guitar. And the interface you choose will have a definite impact on your sound. That's why it's a good idea to invest in the best audio interface you can afford.

If you're doing EDM production with a lot of audio effects and virtual instruments, you're likely to run up against the limits of your computer's processing power. Universal Audio's Apollo series to the rescue: these audio interfaces' dedicated DSP chips are made to handle DSP-hungry UAD-2 plug-ins, taking the load off your host machine.

Want to get out of the studio and into the club? zZounds can help you find the right DJ gear. Check out our Digital DJ Buying Guide to compare all the major platforms: Pioneer DDJ, Pioneer CDJ/XDJ, Serato DJ/DVS, TRAKTOR, and Ableton. We've got the latest and greatest all-in-one DJ controllers, like the Pioneer DDJ-SX2.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

1. zZounds offers the industry‘s most musician-friendly payment plans

zZounds offers a variety of Play as you Pay® installment plans that allow you to get the gear you want today. While our competitors might offer house credit cards that require you to fill out an application and pass a credit check, our payment plans are easy to get, simple to use, and, best of all, accrue zero interest. Unlike those house credit cards that can leave you vulnerable to exorbitant interest charges once the promotional period ends, we never have and never will charge interest when you take advantage of one of the zZounds Play as you Pay® plans.

2. zZounds guarantees the lowest price

Seen it for less somewhere else? Get it for less at zZounds. Simply click the “Seen it for less?” link on any product page and as long as we‘re not losing money, we‘ll beat any legitimate competitor‘s lowest price, usually within two hours. Want our best price even faster? Call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll provide you with a lower price on the phone. Also, if you purchase from us and later find the product for less elsewhere, call or email us within 45 days, and we‘ll refund you the difference.

3. Nobody Beats zZounds‘ Fast & Free Shipping

At zZounds, we know you want your gear fast, and shipped to you free of charge. That‘s why we have absolutely free ground shipping on every single order shipped within the continental United States. This includes heavy and oversized items. No minimum purchase required. No exclusions. We also ship over 90% of our orders with FREE 2-day shipping. We pull it all off with our strategically placed, coast-to-coast warehouses.

4. zZounds makes returns super easy

Buy it, try it, like it, or return it to us for a full refund. It‘s just that simple. If you‘re not in love with what you bought, return it to zZounds within 45 days, and we‘ll promptly arrange for an exchange or a refund. No hassles. No hidden charges. And if a product‘s defective or damaged, call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll email you a prepaid shipping label so you can easily return it to us at zero cost to you.

5. zZounds delivers top-rated customer service

zZounds has received multiple Bizrate® Circle of Excellence Platinum awards, placing us in the top 0.7 percent of Bizrate‘s network of 5,200 retailers. Our success in meeting the needs of our customers -- since 1996, we‘ve satisfied over 1,000,000 people -- is due in large part to the fact that zZounds only hires experienced musicians to answer your calls and emails, and they are never paid a commission.